


Two Dragons for Jesse McCree

by Papallion



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Cameo by Bastion, Cameo by Genji, Cameo by Solder: 76, Cute, M/M, McHanzo Reverse Bang 2018, Noodle Dragons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 00:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15830205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Papallion/pseuds/Papallion
Summary: After a nasty migraine Hanzo needs a nap, and when the noodle dragons pop out, Jesse decides to try and keep them out of trouble for the rest of the morning.This is nothing but cute, adorable fluff inspired by the fantastichttp://tealtumbleweed.tumblr.com/https://78.media.tumblr.com/50f9304241dffde1b29e0a1f5c5139d6/tumblr_pe7ewrUB3x1r2uqkbo1_1280.jpghttps://78.media.tumblr.com/389da5fc5cad568952d7a710c90c482d/tumblr_pe7ewrUB3x1r2uqkbo2_1280.jpg





	Two Dragons for Jesse McCree

“I can not believe the amount of noise this place generates!” Hanzo growled as he followed Jesse into his room.  “It is incessant!”

“Oh, I’m certain it cessants some of the time, Han,” Jesse soothed as he put his laundry basket down.   He pulled the bedding off of his bed and chucked it at the door.  “It won’t take long, Torb’s just replacing some pipes or something.”

Hanzo gave a growling huff as he folded Jesse’s dirty sheet.  He dropped it in the hamper and Jesse tossed him the pillow cases.  He had been using the bedding Lúcio gave him, a cheerful frog in a cowboy suit.  “It is uncivilized.”

It amused the cowboy that Hanzo insisted on folding dirty laundry.  Jesse pulled out the fresh sheet and snapped it open, and Hanzo instantly grabbed one end of it.  “When’s the last time you have a good sleep, honeybee?” he asked as Hanzo tucked the corners in. 

“Pillowcase,” Hanzo growled as he smoothed the sheet.

Jesse handed one over and Hanzo dumped the pillow in and fluffed it roughly.  The fresh bedding was more in line with what Hanzo thought of as Jesse’s aesthetic, earthen reds and golds and a fews streaks of a color neither green nor teal.

Once the new sheets and comforter were on the bed Jesse pulled a corner down.  “C’mon, Han, I know you didn’t sleep last night.” He gave Hanzo a gentle shove and Hanzo sat on the bed.  “And you haven’t slept well since that mission last week, have you?”

“Do not baby me!” Hanzo spat out when Jesse kissed his temple.  He let Jesse sit behind him and rub his neck for a few minutes in silence, however.  His relaxed then stiffened a little, and Jesse knew from experience he needed a glass of water and a nap.  “It has just been noisy is all.”

Jesse stood up and popped his back.  “C’mon, down you go.” 

Hanzo was already wearing loose pants, so he removed his overshirt and stretched, cracking his own back.  He let Jesse remove his prosthetic feet and tuck him in the bed, and Jesse was concerned Hanzo didn’t resist too badly.  His migraine must have really been bothering him.

Jesse’s room had a high ceiling covered in constellations that glowed when the lights were out.  His wide, short windows were placed high up, and he used the controls on his prosthetic arm to dim the lights and close the curtains.  

“Now honeybee,” he said quietly as he stroked Hanzo’s cheek with his thumb, “you just lay quiet like and I’ll get you your migraine medicine.”

“I do not have a migraine,” Hanzo snapped, but quieter this time.  He waved Jesse’s hand away from his face in agitation.

“Naw, you just got a headache triggered by light and sound, don’tcha?” Jesse grinned.  “You want some Aleve or that fancy stuff Angie gets you?”

Hanzo fumed for a little.  “Two Aleve,” he finally muttered and settled under the desert colored comforter.  “Please.” 

Jesse had hung his bedding on the clothesline and it smelled of fresh sea air and sunshine.  

Hanzo watched as Jesse rooted through his table for the pills, then reach into his mini fridge for a bottle of cool water.  He mumbled something that could have been ‘thank you’ after taking them, and Jesse smiled softly at him.

“Now you just rest up, I’m going to put the rest of my laundry away.”  He handed Hanzo a sleep mask with cacti and tumbleweeds embroidered on it, and the archer actually pulled it on.

Jesse resisted humming as he shoved his other sheets into the closet, and he carefully folded his green serape and set it on the sweater rack Lena had got him last year as a white elephant present.  It was actually quite handy for his growing collection of serapes and ponchos! As much as he loved a nomadic lifestyle, there was an appeal to having a place to stash his stuff.

Jesse put the basket under the sink in the bathroom and returned, and he could hear the change in Hanzo’s breathing.  

He had fallen asleep and Jesse felt himself relax a little.  Hanzo only sighed and settled into the pillow when Jesse tenderly touched his cheek.  

Jesse grinned as he tucked the loose strands behind Hanzo’s ear, and he carefully stood up from the bed.  He pulled another cold water bottle from his mini fridge and rooted through his desk, finally finding some roasted seaweed he kept for Hanzo snack emergencies.  Jesse placed both items in the table by the bed and nodded to him.

As he was turning to leave Hanzo’s blanket shifted, and a little blue head popped up.  Jesse kept from swearing out loud as a second materialised, and he realized they were tiny versions of Hanzo’s spirit dragons.  They scampered out from the blanket, sniffing around, and then they both turned to stare at Jesse.

The little dragons looked almost identical, but the longer Jesse stared at them the more differences he saw.  One was slightly longer, with a light golden mane, while the other was smaller with a more vivid copper tone to their fur.  They sat on Hanzo's shoulders, and Jesse gaped at them.

"Now where did you little critters come from?" he asked in amazement, and the lighter golden one started to chatter away.  "Shhh, shhh, little guy, don't wake him! Man hasn't slept well in about a week I wager. Let's just get you off of him for now, OK?"

Jesse held out his hands and the dragons sniffed him, and the chatty one nibbled at his prosthetic fingers.  Jesse slowly worked his hands under their bellies and they both clamored up his arms, hopping about like little ferrets.

"Well, ain't you a cute pair of noodles!" he laughed softly and kissed one of their noses.  He heard Hanzo sigh softly and settle into the pillow, and the longer dragon dragon chittered into his ear.  The other dragon was heavier, a little more stately in her movements, and Jesse had a sudden thought. "Well, you, little missy moo, you're Kaiyō, aren't you?"

Kaiyō regarded him with ocean eyes, and she settled on his shoulder.

"And you, you're Sora." 

Sora looked up at him, pale gold mane shimmering like the flickering dawn, and he continued to chatter at him.

"Well, let's get you two out of here so Han can sleep.  C'mon, you two." Jesse shrugged his shoulder and Sora hopped up to a more secure position.  Jesse used the controls on his arm to dim the lights further and to adjust the vents so they weren't directly on Hanzo, and he turned to leave.

Jesse paused, flicked the errant hair behind Hanzo's ear, and grinned when his wings popped out again.  Hanzo had let his undercut grow out again, and Jesse loved playing with the silky waterfall that was Hanzo's hair.

Kaiyō sniffed Jesse's ear and Jesse rubbed her nose.  She seemed to be whispering to him, but he didn't understand what she was saying, or even if meant anything.  Jesse left his room and let the door slide shut.

"Athena, Hanzo's not here, you understand?" he asked the AI.

Athena responded with a pure Southern accent.  "Shore thang, Jesse darlin'." 

Jesse's broad face broke out into a grin.  For weeks now Winston had been trying to purge that particular verbal tick from Athena's vocabulary, fearing it might corrupt her other speech patterns.  No one was quite sure how she had picked up a more Southern than South Western accent, but it gave Winston one more thing to fuss about that wasn’t scolding them for them streaming video games or playing roller hockey in the hall, so the others paid it no mind.

"Let's take you two on a little walk, I think you might like the garden."  Jesse strolled through the halls to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water and some trail mix, and stepped outside.

Jesse kept up a running dialogue for the dragons as they walked along.  To the left was Jack Morrison's grill, covered with a heavy drop cloth. 

“One does not touch Jack Morrison's grill,” he said firmly.  

Both dragons nodded sagely as if they understood.

To the right was a picnic area with three sturdy tables, one with a cheerful umbrella someone had stolen while in Spain.  Past that was the steps to the shore, and the place the Junkers camped at.

Jesse wasn't too fond of the Junkers, but he tried not to hassle them too much.  They were better behaved when they were housed outside, for some odd reason. He kept moving forward, past the storage building, and into a more green area.  He quickly reached the garden.

"Howdy, Bastion!"  Jesse looked up the omnic.

He, like so many others, didn't trust the E54 battle automaton at first.  There was too much emotional baggage to handle when dealing with omnics, especially the non-humanoid ones.  

When Jesse first met Bastion he had kept his hand near his hip, worried and ready to protect his friends despite what Torbjörn had told them.  His mood had softened, however, when Bastion had managed to, through charades, ask for some food for his little bird Ganymede. 

Torbjörn had removed its weapons and replaced its right arm cannon with another hand, and equipped it with gardening tools.  Since then the omnic had spent its time on the Rock tending a vegetable garden and helping move heavy objects. It was hard not to like something, or someone, that gardened and took care of critters, and Jesse had warmed to the omnic.

Bastion rotated its head at him and waved, and Jesse held out the trail mix.  "Got some treats for Ganymede!" he grinned, and the little bird shook itself awake.  "Just a few, I know he's gotta watch his figure."

Bastion took the baggie of trail mix and carefully removed several items, then bobbed its head up and down and handed the rest back.

"You're welcome.  Minding the garden?  How’re your veggies doing?"

Jesse listened to Bastion's whirling noises and beeping, and nodded.  He never had a clue what he was saying, but it made Bastion happy to have someone to talk to.  He hefted the dragons and let Bastion see them. "Sounds like you're doin' all right. I'm gonna let these two play a little, that OK?  They’re Hanzo’s dragons.”

Bastion made a curious noise and peered a little closer.

"This here's Kaiyō, and this here's Sora,” he said as he lifted each little dragon in turn.  “I've been callin' em Udon and Soba, since they remind me of noodles!" he laughed. "They're Hanzo's, just borrowing them for a few minutes while he takes a rest.  I’ll make sure they don’t do no damage."

Bastion carefully extended a finger, and while Kaiyō pulled back, Sora nibbled on it.  He made a pleased beep and continued weeding the herbs.

"Now Bastion don't mean no harm, you two, he just likes to mind the garden.  Here, I don't know if you guys ever had fresh tomatoes before, but you're in for a treat.  These are a hell of a lot better than the store bought ones!" Jesse put the dragons on the ground and Sora instantly started to roll in the dirt.  "You don't get out much, do you, Soba?"

Sora paused, sniffed the end of his tail fluff, and snorted, then turned to the tomato plants.  He sniffed and nibbled on a leaf, then shook his head, jaws lolling. He then rolled on his back, rippling and scratching his back against the soil.

Jesse laughed and picked a handful of roma tomatoes, dropped them into a bandana, then looked to Kaiyō.

She stood on two paws, her front left and back right, and after wriggling her claws, she swapped to stand on her other paws.  She scowled at the dirt and her tail swished in agitation.

"Don't like being dirty much, do you little lady?" he asked and rubbed her cheek.

She rolled her head and sniffed his hand, then her eyes went wide as she saw the tomato.

Being so small, Jesse thought to himself, meant everything was large to her.  "C'mon, let's have a little snack." Jesse shooed the two dragons to the bench then scooped them up  and sat between them. He used his boot knife to slice the roma tomato, and he held out a chunk to Sora. 

Sora sniffed it and Jesse lifted it up, and Sora stood on his hind legs, reaching and sniffing.   His tongue flicked over the tomato and then his nose, and he started to wobble once Jesse held the morsel too high.

Jesse finally stopped laughing and gave the dragon his tomato, and he sliced off a piece for Kaiyō.  When he held it out of her reach she started to sulk, and Jesse laughed and put it down for her.

After giving him a nasty glare she sniffed it then gave it a lick.  After a moment of thought she decided it was a worthy snack and started to chew on it.

Jesse and the dragons ate quietly, enjoying the sunshine and heat, and Jesse took a long drink of water after pouring a cap for the dragons.  Somehow it felt like he was sitting next to Hanzo himself and not two spirit creatures, but he supposed they were part of Hanzo, so of course he would feel Hanzo.  Maybe. He still wasn't sure how the spirit dragons worked.

He remembered the first time he had seen them, and the memory still gave him chills.

They were outgunned and outnumbered, and he, Hanzo and Lucio were cornered down a blind alley.  Lucio had taken a hit to the head and was slung over Jesse's shoulder, music still humming from his weapon and gear.

"Stay behind me," Hanzo had said in a dangerous voice, one that Jesse loved to hear but feared at the same time.

Jesse had seen Genji's dragon before, but Hanzo's were different.  Midori was pale and green and smelled of ozone and citrus. She was constantly moving, flickering, waving, wind shimmer action motion gone.  Jesse had almost touched her once and her head whipped around, a wild look in her eyes that reminded Jesse of the wild horses he would yearn for as a teen, and he held his hand out.

She had gently placed her head in his palm, sniffing, then flickered off.  A few days later he and Genji had their first real conversation. Genji trusted him enough to talk, and that opened the floodgates to a strong friendship.

Back in the alley Hanzo had drawn his bow and stared down the Talon forces ready to capture or kill them.  He knocked a single arrow, and and Jesse could feel the air change around them. It grew light and tense and humid and dry all at once, and Hanzo drew the arrow back.  His hair stood on end as his tattoos started to shine, and Jesse could see the glow through Hanzo's left pants leg. 

“Ryuuga wagateki wo kurau!”  _  Let my dragons eat my enemy. _

His voice echoed between the buildings and ricocheted, a deep growl of a command that made two Talon agents bolt.  Jesse almost laughed, watching two grown men, one in powered armor, simply drop their shit and run.

Hanzo let the arrow go.

And Jesse saw the dragons.

Hanzo's dragons were different from Genji's.

They were large, far larger than Midori. 

They raced down the alley, rotating around each other, glowing beasts of light and sound and wind water death thunder fury.  Hanzo's eyes flickered as the dragons rolled over the Talon agents, watching as they engulfed Hanzo's enemies.

Jesse was never sure if the really did eat Hanzo’s enemies, or if he transported them a pocket dimension or how they worked, but he knew that the dragons did their job.

Jesse almost bolted in a panic when the pair turned, roaring out their victory, and returned to Hanzo.

Sora, and Jesse now knew it was Sora from his longer form and paler mane, returned to Hanzo and wrapped his body around him, engulfing him in a shimmering electric light that smelled of storms and sunshine.  Hanzo placed a hand on Sora's long face and they stood, quietly communicating.

Kaiyō shot past the pair and turned, coming to a halt in front of Jesse.

"Ma'am," was the only word he could croak out as he tipped his hat the best he could with Lúcio on his shoulders. 

Kaiyō was the ocean, deep and dark and dangerous.  She sniffed Jesse, examining him, then exhaled long and deep.  When she started to breath back in, like the tide racing away from the shore, she dragged all the air to her.

Jesse had to cling to his hat, and Lucio's braids smacked against his head as Kaiyō inhaled.  When she exhaled again it was sea salt and something deeper and older than Jesse had any right to know about.  The dragon, satisfied, turned and rippled away, twinning around her brother and rejoining Hanzo.

Jesse felt like he had passed a test, and he mourned that Lúcio never got to see the dragons up close.

Not long after that Hanzo had slowly started to warm up to him, and Jesse had been grateful.

He guessed he understood more about the dragons than he thought he did as he watched Sora and Kaiyō ask for more tomato.

Kaiyō placed a single claw on his leg, demanding quietly, her eyes deep and authoritative.  He knew what she wanted even though she didn't say it. She refused to beg, and tried to force him into understand she wanted that tomato. 

Sora was shyer, gently patting him, opening his mouth but making no sound.  He rubbed his head on Jesse’s thigh and opened his mouth again in a silent roar.

The gunslinger laughed and sliced them off another wedge of tomato.  After a third one he wiped his forehead with his bandana. “A bit warm out, don’t you think?”

Both dragons were panting slightly, and he had already filled the bottle cap three times, so he decided to take them inside for a while.  “Let’s get you rinsed off, first. Hey, Bastion, could I borrow some water for the noodles?” Both dragons were covered with dust, and Jesse didn’t feel like returning them in dirty condition.

Bastion put down a small watering can of water and beeped at him.

Jesse pulled his bandana off and dunked it in the watering can.  “Thanks, friend!” 

He carefully washed one of Kaiyō’s feet, then held his hand out.  She nibbled on his fingers a little then held out her other foot, and Jesse chuckled as he washed it.  Kaiyō had such tiny little feet, and such delicate little bones! Her little claws clung to his fingers, much like a cat.  Once he was done with the right foot she held out the left again, and Jesse continued to wash her feet, one after the other.  

“Miss Udon, you are a right lady.”

Eventually Sora trundled over and held out his feet, and Jesse gave him a good wash, too.  The dragons nudged then nipped at each other, and both of them continued to let Jesse wash their feet.  Jesse gently washed their chins and faces and draped the bandana on the railing to dry.

“Now, I wager you two might be hungry.  I know I am! A few tiny tomatoes split three ways does not a meal make.  Let’s get some lunch, all right?” He tucked his hands under each of their bellies and the dragons clamored up his arms.  “Now your sister, and I assume I’m right in calling Midori your sister?” he asked. When he didn’t receive a negative reaction he continued.  “Right, now I’ve seen your sister eat veggie stir fry, she really likes fried tofu. Why don’t you try some of Satya and mine’s curry-chili? Made it last night, so it’s had time to meditate on its sins and mellow out some.”

The dragons balanced on his shoulders as he walked to the kitchen, and he set them down on the table.  He put down a bowl of water and Kaiyō submerged her entire head, and Sora lapped at it around her.

“Thought it was a might bit warm out today.”  Jesse washed his hands, face and neck and hung his hat on the back of a chair.  He whistled cheerfully as entered the giant walk in cooler, and flapped the front of his shirt before grabbing the bowl of chili.

It was a vegetarian combination of Satya’s curry with chickpeas and tomatoes, and Jesse’s four alarm chili.  It had been pretty popular last night, but today the spices had time to settle and would have mingled perfectly.  He put the bowl on the table and rotated both dragons so their noses were out of it, and he put two serving bowls and a spoon next to it.  

“Why do you have Sora and Kaiyō?” a curious voice asked from the door.  Genji was wearing a hoodie with a Japanese soda logo on it, ancient sweatpants and no shoes.  His cybernetic toes wriggled as he stepped into the kitchen.

“Oh, Han’s taking a nap and I thought I’d take over dragon-sitting for him for a bit.  I was just getting some of the vegetable curry Satya and I made last night! Want some?”  He poured a generous amount into his bowl and put the rest back in the cooler.

“No, I’m just going to get a smoothie.  I made a few this morning.” Midori crawled out from Geni’s hoodie pocket and scaled his chest to his shoulder.  “Good day for dragons, I suppose.” He reached into the cooler and pulled out a metal bottle. He could eat solid foods now, but he still prefered shakes from time to time.

“Are you going to return my brother’s dragons to him like that?” he asked and pulled his smoothie away from Midori.

She hopped to Genji’s other shoulder and aimed for the smoothie, and Genji put it back into his left hand.  

“Don’t know what you mean, Genji.  They’re fine!” Jesse said with a grin.  “I’ll just give them a little brush, I already washed their little faces,” he continued, and Genji pointed as Jesse heard a clatter.  “Udon, no!” 

Kaiyō had tried to climb into the bowl and knocked it over, washing herself in the sauce, and was furiously lapping at the chili.  She tilted her head back as she swallowed a chunk of celery, dribbling curry down her neck.

“Udon?” Genji muttered and took a sip.  It had irritated Genji at first that Jesse, years ago, had nicknamed Midori ‘Ramen,’ but he had come to accept it.  It was a cute nickname, and far more civilized than what the others called her.

“That’s not polite, little lady!” Jesse scolded.  He scooped Kaiyō up and placed her in the sink, only to hear Genji snicker.

Sora was now taking Kaiyō’s place, sniffing at the potatoes and pushing them with his nose as he investigated the puddle and bowl.

“Soba, come on, now!  Be civilized!” Jesse scooped him up and put him in the sink as well.  

Both dragons took up the entire sink, large as it was.  Sora snapped at Kaiyō’s shoulder, plucking off a bean, and Kaiyō huffed.

“No fighting, you two!”  Jesse quickly grabbed a hand towel and started to clean the table up.  “You two are a right mess!”

“And you know how Hanzo feels about messes,” Genji said as he swapped the smoothie to his right hand.

Midori, of course, followed.  She was getting that smoothie!

Jesse shook his head, swearing under his breath.

“And he trusted you so much with them.”  Genji shook his head and rubbed Midori’s chin.  “No, you don’t like kelp, you’ll just make a face at me!” he scolded gently.  “Just like McCree here.” 

When Midori continued to insist on chewing on the straw Genji relented and held the smoothie out.  Midori licked the inside of straw and pulled back, shaking her head and swiping at her tongue.

“Told you,” Genji muttered and continued to drink.

“She just put her tongue in your straw,” Jesse said in flat disgust.

“She’s the spiritual manifestation of a celestial being, Jess,” Genji said as he shook his head.  “She doesn’t have spit. Besides, you know you’ve eaten worse.” 

Jesse shrugged; this was true.

Genji reached over and scratched her head again, pushing her away from his smoothie.  “No. We just went over this, green bean. No.” He did grin, however, as Midori snuggled up to his chin, nosing the black plating that covered parts of his jaw.  She gripped his fine mustache and he laughed as she tried to get the straw again.

Jesse set his bowl on the counter, then he sprayed the table down and finished wiping it up.  There was a soft noise and Jesse sighed as he looked over to the counter. 

Both dragons had clamored out of the sink and were standing on the counter, dripping chili over the marble surface.  Kaiyō tried to get a piece of corn that was stuck to her hip, and she walked in a circle, splattering sauce as she whipped her tail around.  Sora rolled in the bowl, opening and closing his front two paws and wriggling on his back.

“Oh, c’mon, Soba!” Jess sighed.  “Now you’re just TRYING to make a mess!” Jesse scolded as Genji laughed again.  “Come on, back in the sink!” He dumped the two dragons into the sink and Sora looked up at him with large eyes.  “Don’t give me those puppy dog eyes, Mr. Man. Hey, Genji, what do you use to wash a dragon with?”

Genji took a long sip of smoothie and pushed Midori’s head away.  “No, you don’t like kelp. Well, you do-- NOT dish soap. Do you have-- I said put the soap down!” Genji scolded and Jesse pulled his hand away.  “Do you have anything gentle, like baby shampoo or something?” Genji put the smoothie in his left hand again.

Jesse thought about it a little.  “I got beard shampoo? Rheea got it for me.  Supposed to be gentle.” Jesse shrugged. “Smells nice.”  He pulled his hand back as Sora snapped at his finger. “No, bad noodle.”  He tapped Sora’s nose, and Sora pulled back, insulted. “No biting.” He looked over to Genji and he hauled Kaiyō back into the sink.  “Since they’re just spirits, can’t they, you know, fade away and come back clean?”

Genji took a long sip of smoothie as Midori nibbled on his chin a little.  Genji held the smoothie out, and Midori took a sip.

She shook her head and sulked.

Genji laughed at his dragon.  “We do this a lot. Hanzo says it’s because of the conflicting emotions inside of me.  I just think Midori’s just my spoiled brat side.” Genji took another drink, and Midori pawed at his mustache.  “You have no idea how the dragons work, do you? And you’ve known me for how long?”

“Well, I know sometimes they’re big, and sometimes they’re not, and sometimes they don’t exist.”  Jesse turned the water on and Kaiyō eagerly stuck her head under the stream. “There, you like that, don’t you, Missy Moo?” he cooed, and Kaiyō gave an affectionate sound as Jesse scratched her chin.  “Yes, you do! Yes you do!”

“Sora’s in the bowl again,” Genji announced.

“And you just let him?” Jesse snapped.  He was so involved with Kaiyō he hadn’t realized Sora had climbed from the sink and was now rolling in the chili bowl.  “What is WRONG with you?” he hissed and pulled the dragon from the bowl.

Genji smirked at Jesse.  “I think they’re just messing with you.”  He pulled his smoothie to his other hand in an endless dance.  “They have their own personalities, you know. Hey, where’s Hanzo, anyways?”

“Oh, I finally got him to take a nap.”  Jesse scraped some sauce from Sora’s side.  “Had a migraine, gave him some Aleve.”

The dragon tried to turn around to nibble on Jesse’s finger.

“Maybe I should use the bathtub,” Jesse muttered as he looked at the dragons.  Only one could fit comfortably in the sink at a time, and he knew the second he let one out of his sight the other would likely roll around in flour or sugar just to cause a mess.

“How long has Hanzo been sleeping?” Genji asked, Midori’s nose stuck to his palm.

“Oh, since about ten, I wager.”  Jesse tapped Sora’s nose again. “We been over this, Mister Man, no biting.”

“You know he’ll be up soon, right?  He doesn’t sleep more than two hours in a row.  I think it’s-- stop that, Midori-- now they’re making her misbehave.”  Midori was grappling with the drawstring from Genji’s hoodie. “I think he’s physically incapable of sleeping like a normal human being.”

Jesse looked at the clock and swore.  He didn’t think he had taken so long to go on a walk and attempt lunch!

“Better get those two tidied up before the beast awakens!” Genji said with a grin.

Jesse poured his bowl into the compost, tucked it in the dishwasher, and scooped both dragons up.  “C’mon, you two, the sink’s too small, we’ll just use the tub.” He counted himself lucky to have one of the few rooms with an actually bathtub instead of a shower as he jogged through the compound.

“McCree,” Morrison said in his glass-gargling voice as he spotted the cowboy.  “I need to talk to you-”

“Can’t talk, gotta wash Hanzo’s noodles!” Jesse said as he dashed by.

Morrison stopped dead in his tracks.  He popped his lips, thinking, and nodded.  “Right. You get on that.” Morrison pulled out his datapad and scratched Jesse and Hanzo from the meeting list.  

As Jesse reached for his door he paused, and pulled his boots off.  He set them down just outside his door, knowing they wouldn’t be touched.  Hanzo and Satya had a shoe rack right outside their doors, and Mei just dropped her boots right outside of hers so it was not uncommon to see boots in the hall.

“Athena,” he said quietly, “Hanzo still sleeping?”

“Agent Shimada is still sleeping,” the AI said in an equally quiet voice.

“OK, just keep quiet now, Theeny, I don’t want to wake him.”  

There was a soft chime instead of an ‘affirmative’ and Jesse grinned.

He looked at the dragons in his arms.  “You might be happy to see him, but you gotta be quiet, hear?  We don’t want to wake him up, the man needs his sleep!”

Kaiyō snorted at him, insulted, and Sora sneezed on Jesse’s neck then rubbed his chin on Jesse’s face.

“Perfect little angel,” he grumbled and slid the door open.

The room was still dim and cool and he quickly entered, slid the door shut, and tiptoed over to the bathroom door.  Jesse made sure to stay near the wall, forgetting that he had a thick carpet over a cement floor and there was no wood to creak.  He slid inside and shut the door, and finally realized he was holding his breath.

“Home free!” he said softly and unwound Sora from his neck.  He set a towel in the bottom of the bathtub before placing both dragons inside.  Long ago he had learned to put a towel in the tub while washing dogs, since somehow it helped calm them.  “Now, we just gotta get you two cleaned up and back to Hanzo and he’ll never know you were gone!” 

He rubbed their heads as they sniffed around.  "So, I don't know what all you pair know, but this is a bathtub."  Jesse grinned as Sora stuck his tongue out at him. "Hang on, lemme get a picture of that!"

Soba kept his tongue out as Jesse took several more pictures, laughing quietly to himself.  He checked the door, made sure it was shut, and turned the fan on. He turned the water on and Kaiyō wriggled backwards from it.

"Don't you worry none, Missy Moo," he cooed, and lowered the pressure some.  Once it wasn’t so strong Kaiyō stuck her head under the gentle stream. "Let me make sure it's warm enough.  Hanzo showered last and he likes ‘em cold."

Sora tried to scale the tub while Jesse pulled out the beard shampoo Farheea had bought for him at Christmas.  Most of Overwatch didn't celebrate it as Christmas, but rather as a general party and excuse to drink liquor and give presents to each other.

Jesse read the label, tapping 'gentle' and 'luxurious sheen', as if proving to himself the words existed.  He made sure the water was warm, then splashed water at Sora's feet.

Jesse laughed as Sora walked in a circle, trying to get free of the water, and he rubbed Sora's chin.  "Don't worry none, you little noodle, I won't let you drown." Jesse hummed to himself softly as he cupped water over Sora's head.  A bit of corn worked its way loose and Kaiyō snapped it up.

“I'm going back one day, come what may, to Blue Bayou,” Jesse sang softly, laughing at Kaiyō sitting atop the water.  “Where the dragons float like fishing boats on Blue Bayou!” He laughed again and rubbed beard shampoo on his fingertips, the applied it to Sora's mane.

Kaiyō waded over, demanding her turn, and Jesse cupped water over Sora's head. 

"Hang on, Missy Moo, almost your turn!"  Jesse set Sora at the far edge of the tub and started on Kaiyō's mane.  "Genji said Ramen was part of him, his indecisive nature. You must be the part of Han that likes getting spa treatments."

Kaiyō tilted her head back so Jesse could get her beard, and he rubbed his sudsy hands along her body.

“There we go, nice and clean, little lady!"  He rinsed her off once more, grabbed a towel, and set her in the sink.  "C'mon, now, Mister Man, your turn."

As Jesse reached for him he felt a weight on his neck and shoulders, and Kaiyō was back in the water.  "Ah, I just got you clean!" he scolded, and went to scoop her up again.

Sora took this time to clamor up the side of the tube and onto Jesse's shoulder as he was standing up, and Jesse lost his balance.  Rather than drop Kaiyō or fall on her, Jesse tipped forward, smacking his head on the wall.

Jesse swore, mildly for change, and tried to turn around.  Sora scrambled down his leg and Jesse slipped on a puddle and his bottom hit the water.  Both dragons looked at him from the edge of the tub, and Jesse started to laugh again. 

"You two are nothing but trouble, aren't you?" he grinned, and tried to sit up.  "Dang, my head hurts now." He rubbed his head as Kaiyō hopped on his foot and walked up his body to his face.  "Now, I'm fine, darling."

She nosed his temple and huffed, obviously agitated at his lack of grace. 

"You don't need to take that tone with me," he scolded, and broke out laughing.  "Dang it all, you two are too cute. I can't stay mad at you." He kissed the top of her head and put her on his knee.

"And just WHAT do you think you are doing?" an irritated voice sighed from the door.

Jesse jumped a little as he looked over to the voice.

Hanzo stood there, arms crossed, wearing just his sweatpants, prosthetic feet, and the sleep mask on his forehead.  He looked a lot more relaxed than he did that morning, and he pushed his hair behind his ears. He ignored it when it just popped forward again.  "Why are you two out?" he asked in sudden confusion, and checked his arm. The clouds and geometric lightning were there, but his dragon was not.

Jesse laughed as Hanzo pulled his pants open to check his thigh.

Sora made a few chattering noises as Jesse tried to sit up straighter in the tub.  The dragon wrapped himself around Jesse's hand and gripped his thumb with his tiny dragon claws.  He continued to make conversational noises as Hanzo watched them.

“He's lying," Jesse said flatly.  He flexed his fingers when Sora started nibbling on his ring finger, tapping his nose ever so softly.  “You mind, Soba?”

Sora, apparently, did, and continued to nibble.

Jesse stuck his finger in Sora's mouth like he would a yawning cat, and Sora pulled back, choking and insulted.  "OK, look, Han, you just needed to sleep, and these little noodles just sorta appeared." Jesse had a hard time standing up so he just pulled his legs into the bathtub.  "I just took them around the compound, we went to the garden and they got a little dirty."

"So you brought them back for a bath," Hanzo finished and slid his hand under Kaiyō's belly.  She climbed him until she was high enough to leap back into the bathtub.

"Not right away.  I, well, we were a little hungry so we went to the kitchen, and there was chili, and now, here we are."  Jesse chuckled as Kaiyō tried to swim in the shallow water, ducking her head under.

"You fed them chili?" Hanzo asked with a raised eyebrow.

Jesse laughed and held Sora out.  "Fed is not the word I would use."  He pulled Kaiyō out of the tub and set her in the sink.  "Things got a little messy and I decided to return them in good condition."  He took Hanzo's outstretched hand and stood up, jeans and socks soaked through, and hauled his flannel shirt off.  "Oh, um, beard shampoo's good, right? I mean, it's nice and gentle." He examined the bottle. "Or, at least it says it is."

Hanzo watched as Kaiyō scrambled up Jesse's jeans to hop back into the sudsy water.

Jesse reached into the tub and twisted the stopper, draining the water.  

"Beard shampoo,” Hanzo said flatly.

"Yeah, Fareehah got it for me."  Jesse fished Kaiyō out of the draining sudsy water.  "I just got you rinsed, Missy Moo!" He cupped water over her shoulders and she wriggled happily.

"Kaiyō enjoys the water.  Her name means 'ocean,' after all."  Hanzo bent down and turned the water back on, and scooped a handful of water over her head.  "I have not seen them in this state in quite a while."

Kaiyō shook her head and snapped at the water droplets.

Jesse chuckled at her and scooped up Sora.  "His name must me little mister bites-a-lot."  He tapped Sora's long nose again. "What did I tell you about biting, Mister Man?"

"Sora means 'sky.'"  Hanzo was satisfied the dragons were clean and turned the water back off.

Jesse pondered a little.  Sora was the one who reached higher for snacks and clung to his hair, so that made sense.  "Sea and sky." He handed Hanzo a dry hand towel and they dried the dragons. "What's it mean when they're this small?"

Kaiyō rolled her face along Hanzo's cheek.  "My headache was quite powerful. They might have felt it and sought relief outside of me, knowing I was safe, and you were safe to be with."

Jesse scooped Sora up and kissed the top of his head.  "Well, I'm right honored to know they trust me." Sora gripped his beard and tugged.  "Are they playful like this because they're small?"

Hanzo gently scratched Sora's ears.  "They are their own people. Sometimes they are large, sometimes they are dangerous, and sometimes they like to chew on beards." 

There was a soft blue glow and both dragons floated towards Hanzo.  Jesse was sorry to see the dragons return to their positions as tattoos, and he gently kissed Kaiyō's head on Hanzo's wrist.  "G'night, little lady. I’ll miss you."

Hanzo blushed briefly before coughing and pulling away gently.  "I do believe you said there was chili? You made it with Satya last night?"

Jesse grinned.  Hanzo's headache was too strong for him to eat last night, and he hadn't eaten much today, so he must have been hungry. 

"Let's just go see what's left over," Jesse said.  "After we change clothes, of course."

Hanzo nodded in agreement and went to his own room to get dressed.

  
  
  


Jesse had put the chili curry in a pot to heat on the stove, claiming microwaves ‘ruined the nutrients and spoiled the taste.’  “Hey, c’mon, music’s on, let’s move a little.” He mimed dancing a slow dance after washing the sauce from his hands.

“In the kitchen?” Hanzo asked as Jesse put on hand on his waist.  He pulled Jesse’s damp hand from him and handed him a hand towel.

Jesse grinned.  “Yeah, it’s easy!  Just like dancing. If you can,” he teased.

“I am an EXCELLENT dancer, cowboy.”

Jesse gave a laugh and dried his hands.  “Swaying in the kitchen isn't dancing, Han.   It's, it's swaying in the kitchen. I mean, it’s like dancing, but it ain’t actually dancing.”  Jesse couldn’t explain it exactly. “Like this. C'mon.” He took Hanzo by the shoulder and wrapped his arm around him.  “It’s just, you know, slow dancing. In the kitchen.”

Jesse hummed along to the music and Hanzo slowly followed his rhythm.  “I’m going back someday, come what may, to Blue Bayou,” Jesse sang softly.  

Hanzo blushed a little as Jesse took the lead.  

“Where the folks are fine and the world is mine on Blue Bayou,” Hanzo continued.  “Where those fishing boats, with their sails afloat, if I could only see that familiar sunrise through sleepy eyes, how happy I'd be.”

Jesse looked up, a little startled Hanzo knew the words.

“It’s what you were singing to the dragons?” Hanzo explained softly.  They continued to sway through the kitchen.

“Hey, if Olivia Newton John is good enough for The Muppets, she’s good enough for dragons!”

“What’s a The Muppets?” Hanzo asked as Jesse partially dipped him.

“Oh, honeybee,” he said sadly and lifted him back up.

“I know who The Muppets are, Jesse,” Hanzo scolded lightly.  “It was a joke.”

As the curry chili popped in the pot Jesse gave it a stir.

“Should we add some of those large tomatoes Bastion has grown?  They were very tasty.”

“When did you get some of those?” Jesse asked and tested the temperature.  “Needs a few minutes.”

“Not long after we got to the garden today.”

Jesse’s face slowly reddened as he realized something.  “You see through the dragons.”

Hanzo grinned softly.

Every kiss, every tickle, every chin scratch flashed through Jesse’s mind’s eye.

Hanzo took the spoon from Jesse and put it on Morrison’s chicken-shaped spoon rest, then took Jesse’s hands and started to sway to the music again.  “And they felt safe enough to visit with you.” He took Jesse’s cheek and gave it a soft kiss. “And so do I.” Hanzo rested his head on Jesse’s shoulder and they continued to sway.

Jesse turned the burner off and continued to sway with Hanzo: lunch could wait.  As far as he was concerned, the entire world could wait.


End file.
